Letter | Division Chief

Welcome to the Division of Plastic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Amazing things really do happen here! The mastery of ‘cutting-edge’ technologies, the provision of compassionate and confidential care, along with the pursuit of clinical and academic excellence defines our Division’s philosophy. As academically focused plastic surgeons our team of full-time and private practice surgeons is recognized as being leaders in plastic surgery education, research and clinical outcomes. We value and enjoy our interactions with patients, professional colleagues, resident doctors in training and medical students. The needs and concerns of our patients and resident trainees are our primary concerns.

Working in affiliation with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-acknowledged annually for each of the last 15 years by US News and World Report as the leading Hospital in our region-we’re dedicated to patient advocacy and satisfaction, as well as creating the finest educational experience for you. The current integrated residency program is a product of the amalgamation of what once were three separate residency programs: The Columbia- Presbyterian Medical Center program, the New York Hospital- Cornell Medical Center program, and the Harlem Hospital program. Each of these was an independent program with a long history and tradition of education and clinical excellence in plastic surgery. The Columbia program was founded in 1939, the Cornell program in 1948 and the Harlem Hospital program in 1972. Founding chair of the Departments of Plastic Surgery at Columbia include Jerome Webster, MD and Herbert Conway, MD at Weill Cornell. These were giants of their time in plastic surgery and have educated generations of plastic surgeons who now practice throughout the United States and the world. When the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center merged, an opportunity to enhance the residency program training in plastic surgery became evident. With the full cooperation of the founding residency program director, Dr. Ferdinand Odofile, MD, the independent Harlem Hospital program was combined with the two Ivy League programs to create the current educational paradigm. In this way, the program exposes residents to all facets of plastic surgery training in a broad array of all potential learning environments from the quaternary referral hospital to the major academic medical center to the city hospital. Each campus has its own particular focus and allows our residents the opportunity to experience the depth and breadth of plastic surgery practiced in ways unparalleled elsewhere.

The training program has completed its transition to a fully integrated model. Resident performance on the certifying and qualifying exams has met and exceeded expectations. The goal of all of us on the faculty is to produce the next generation of leaders in plastic surgery. Residents have assumed leadership positions in their communities, in organized plastic surgery and in academic medical centers. The faculty will work with each resident to formulate a plan to facilitate development of their desired plastic surgery practice after graduation from the program. Plastic Surgery is about restoring quality of life for our patients, whether it is restoring to normal or enhancing appearance, from birth throughout one’s lifetime.

Thank you for your interest in our New York-Presbyterian Hospital Plastic Surgery training program. I look forward to meeting with each of you.

Jason A. Spector, M.D., FACS

Jason spector MD

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